Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1887-1890, 1887-06-11
GREAT FALLS SCENERY.
information for Tourisis-The Tn.
rivaled Picturesqueness of
This Region.

rivaled Picturesqueness of
This Region.
There is probably no place on this con
tinent where ones eyes can rest upon S
much grand an1 beautiful scenery. in s.
short distance, as along the Missouri be
tween Helena and Great Falls. It is al
enchanting trip, by boat, through th,
"Gate of the Mountains over "Half
breed rapids and thence by easy stages te
the coming metropolis of Montana, a
Great Falls This delightful voyage
which includes the far-famed Missouri
canyon is destined, at no distant day, te
become one of the most popular trips ir
our broad and picturesque country.
THE RAPIDS.
The headwaters of the Missouri burst
joyously forth from the bosom of the ever
lasting hills and flow untroubled, with
bouyancy, until they reach point about
fifty miles above our city of Great Fa Is.
Here a perceptible change creeps over
the surface of the waters. Attaining ma
ture proportions, they become less precip-
itate, apparently having some premoni
tions of the impending roughness of their
course Cautiously, almost sluggishly
do they approach the rapids; their first
formal introduction to the plunge made,
they beat about upon the rocks, with reck-
less abandon, and laugh derisively, as they
pursue their meandering course, over
constant succession OF steps down to
Black Eagle falls, two miles distant from
the business center of the city. Here the
waters throw off all reserve, spread out to
a width of about six hundred yards and
form cataract of twentysix feet. The
descent is not exactly perpendicular,
though the waters fall, generally, with
regular and smooth sheet. For about one
third of the descent the waters are curv-
ed by large, protruding rock.
THE ISLAND.
Just below the falls is beautiful little
island well covered with trees, the foliage
of which is kept green by the welcome
spray which envelops the island in deli
cate, veil-like mist. Here, on solitary
cottonwood tree, in the midst of the island,
an eagle had fixed her nest and had long
held undisputed sway over her isolated
domain, when in 1eO4-5 Lewis and Clarke
in the course of their expedition, ventured |
across the gulf which separates it from
the river bank. There is something ex-
ceeiingly interesting in the picture OF |
that band of hardy explorers as they |
stood. upon the lonely island, in the heart |
of boundiess wilderness and named the
grand cataract before them, "Black Eagle
Falls" in honor of that pioneer sentinel,
who, her silent watch and ward was there
keeping.
Should any tourist pine for an exciting
trip to drive dull care away, let him take a
light boat and run over the long series of
rapids between town and the Giant spring
which is about mile and a half below
Black Eagle falls. You should start
above the dam. the first descent and you
will be greatly astonished to find how
frequently the rapids recur and that what
ut distance look to be mere ripples upon
the waters surface, prove to be falls,
large enough to capsize your boat, unless
great skill is exercised in handling it.
You will rush over them with lightning
rapidity, exhilarated by the intense ex-
momentarily expecting your
,oat to be shattered by some treacher-
1us rock, carefully concealed by the
foaming waters, from the man on the look
)ut. You will experience strangely
sensation as yoa approach the
falls, ride over which is certain death.
You will feel as though something were
giving way under your feet just as you do
when dreaming that you are falling off
rom sixstory building. From the lofty
ills near the falls, they look as though
'ne could slide over them with perfect s
Ease, but when you approach the bank
md hear the tremendous roar toward {
which you are rapidly being carried !
learer and nearer, the sound becomes an
lwful signal of approaching death. You '
perhaps realize for the first time that
young man, the rapids are below you,n 1
nd pull for shore instanter, If you are t
autious enough to cling to the north bank {
,efore being drawn into the all powerful Y
urrent, you can reach shallow water and
here let down your boat which you will S
md somewhat battered, but still seawor-
hy enough to proceed to the Giant I
pring, which shall form the subject of our J
ext chapter. &
THE GIANT SPRINGS
The Giant spring forms one OF the C
reatest natural curiosities in northern G
[ontana. It has river frontage of 500l
eet; is highest in the centre and slopes
G on three sides. Lewis and Clarke, its Y
refer to it as ga large fountain Ii
oiling up from underneath the rocks near r
le edge of the river, into which it flows, b
'rming cascade of eight feet" Its wa a
'ris of perfect clearness, of blush tint, r
hich it tenaciously preserves for half a n
lille in the midst of the Missouri. About G
hundred rods above the point where the 81
ain volume of the subterranean river is f
lscharged is another exactly similar D
oring, the power of which can be realized r
om the fact that it stays the rapid cur il
mt of the river and maintains its individ- b
atty throughout its whole extent. If.
The temperature of the Giant spring L
Iroughout the year is about so F., and Ii
volume has never been known to vary Il
ometime there must have been a bed of c,
lid rock in the place CT the spring, but al
1W the water Tushes out from every y
eyice as if forced from ifs hidden sn,1r- n